As the sun sets on Red & Charline McCombs Field, Andrew Bowans, a field and turf specialist for Texas Athletics, hangs up his hat and heads home for the day. But his work is far from complete. After meticulously tending to the field, he finds himself in the kitchen, where ingredients such as butter, sugar and flour await him. Channeling his precision from on the field, Bowans gets to work on perfecting a new recipe he will bring to the softball team the next day.
Bowans grew up making his mother’s special banana bread recipe but decided to formally teach himself to bake four years ago so he could have a skill to share with co-workers and friends. He then slowly began offering his creations to others around the field for special occasions such as birthdays or team wins. Combining his perfectionist nature with his love of giving to others, he quickly made the hobby a crucial part of his routine.
“I spend a lot of my time (on the field),” Bowans says. “I think if I didn’t do anything (outside of work), I’d probably go crazy. If I’m home for too long without doing something, I get kind of antsy, so baking gives me a kind of purpose on certain days.”
His burly exterior and labor-intensive career might not make him the stereotypical baker, but Bowans says he loves the satisfaction of the craft and always aims to brighten someone’s day with his breads, pies and cookies.
“I’m a complainer about a lot of things, but I like to offset my complaining and grumpy exterior with baked goods,” he says. “So, in the aggregate, it evens out.”
When Bowans joined Texas Athletics in 2019, he helped maintain Frank Denius Fields. Two years later, he began to work primarily at the softball facilities, where he felt a strong sense of community with the team and staff. The support system he has found, Bowans says, motivates him to perfect his skills both on and off the field.
“There’s respect there; where I feel like in some other sports, you don’t necessarily get that,” he says. “It feels more like a family atmosphere in the softball department, and I enjoy that. If I have any issues, I can go to them, and if they have any issues, they can come to me.”
Bowans often works long, six- or seven-day weeks behind the scenes, but the team — which won its first national championship in June — co-workers and supervisors never allow his efforts to go unnoticed.
“Andrew is a stand-up guy, and we can always rely on him,” says Keely McMillon, director of softball operations. “He goes above and beyond making sure that all of those details are perfect because he wants us to be just as successful as we want to be. … He’s truly a part of our team. When we get a ring, he gets a ring. When we get custom gloves, we make sure he gets a custom glove.”
Whether he is mowing intricate designs into the grass of the softball field or spending several hours preparing 200 cookies to welcome the team back from a break, his dedication to the smallest of details creates a resounding impact on those around him.
“He’s really particular, and he puts in a lot of effort,” says Andrew Powers, director of turf and grounds for Texas Athletics. “He’s super prideful, and it shows in his work. … Whatever he touches or whatever he does, you know it’s going to be done and done right.”
As his journey with Texas Athletics continues, Bowans has built a reputation as the best baker among the team members. Everyone anticipates the next time they will get to experience another of his legendary treats.
“He just keeps expanding what he’s making for us,” McMillon says. “I don’t think there’s ever been anything bad. … Now the girls aren’t afraid to go and say, ‘Andrew, we want some cookies this week.’”
Bowans’ field work and baking intersect in ways that help him connect more deeply with others and cater to his detail-oriented personality, and he says he finds fulfillment in being able to see his impact on the team in a tangible way.
“I just remind myself that when the team does well, I’m a small part of it,” Bowans says. “I can see all my hard work every day out there on the field. With some jobs, you can do something every day and have no idea what you’re doing.”
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